An electronic arrangement includes a radiation source. A controlled voltage converter is configured to provide a lamp voltage for the radiation source for operating the radiation source in an ON state for a pulse duration, and to regulate the lamp voltage such that a reference voltage at a feedback terminal of the voltage converter is maintained substantially constant. A voltage source is connected to the feedback terminal and configured to provide, via the feedback terminal for acting on the regulation of the voltage converter, a time-dependent control voltage having a predefined time profile. The voltage converter is configured to select a time profile for the lamp voltage as a function of the predefined time profile of the time-dependent control voltage such that a power of the radiation source deviates from a constant power value by no more than 25% during at least 90% of the pulse duration.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An electronic arrangement comprising: a radiation source a controlled voltage converter configured to provide a lamp voltage for the radiation source in order to operate the radiation source in an ON state for a pulse duration, and to regulate the lamp voltage in such a way that a reference voltage at a feedback terminal of the voltage converter is maintained substantially constant; and a voltage source connected to the feedback terminal and configured to provide, via the feedback terminal for acting on the regulation of the voltage converter, a time-dependent control voltage having a predefined time profile, wherein the voltage converter is configured to select a time profile for the lamp voltage as a function of the predefined time profile of the time-dependent control voltage in such a way that a power of the radiation source deviates from a constant power value by no more than 25% during at least 90% of the pulse duration.
2. The electronic arrangement as recited in claim 1 , wherein a peak inrush current of an input current into the voltage converter, which may occur at the beginning of the pulse duration, has a magnitude less than or equal to 1.25 times an average input current of the voltage converter that is averaged over the pulse duration.
3. The electronic arrangement as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pulse duration is in a range of from 50 ms to 500 ms.
4. The electronic arrangement as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a voltage divider including a series connection of a first resistor and a second resistor, the voltage divider being connected to the radiation source via the first resistor and to a ground terminal of the electronic arrangement via the second resistor, and the feedback terminal being connected to the voltage divider in a region between the first resistor and the second resistor.
5. The electronic arrangement as recited in claim 1 , wherein the voltage source is connected to the feedback terminal via a resistor.
6. The electronic arrangement as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a voltage divider including a series connection of a first resistor and a second resistor, the voltage divider being connected to the radiation source via the first resistor and to a ground terminal of the electronic arrangement via the second resistor, and the feedback terminal being connected to the voltage divider in a region between the first resistor and the second resistor, wherein voltage source is connected to the feedback terminal via a third resistor, and wherein the voltage source is connected via the third resistor to the voltage divider in a region between the first resistor and the second resistor.
7. The electronic arrangement as recited in claim 1 , wherein an electrical resistance of the radiation source has a positive temperature coefficient.
8. The electronic arrangement as recited in claim 1 , wherein the voltage source is or includes a digital-to-analog converter, the time-dependent control voltage being an output voltage of the digital-to-analog converter.
9. An optical gas sensor comprising the electronic arrangement according to claim 1 .
10. A method for controlling power of a radiation source, the method comprising: providing an electronic arrangement comprising: a radiation source a controlled voltage converter configured to provide a lamp voltage for the radiation source in order to operate the radiation source in an ON state for a pulse duration, and to regulate the lamp voltage in such a way that a reference voltage at a feedback terminal of the voltage converter is maintained substantially constant; and a voltage source connected to the feedback terminal and configured to provide, via the feedback terminal for acting on the regulation of the voltage converter, a time-dependent control voltage having a predefined time profile, wherein the voltage converter is configured to select a time profile for the lamp voltage as a function of the predefined time profile of the time-dependent control voltage in such a way that a power of the radiation source deviates from a constant power value by no more than 25% during at least 90% of the pulse duration; operating the radiation source in the ON state for the pulse duration; and providing the time-dependent control voltage in such a manner that the power of the radiation source deviates from the constant power value by no more than 25% during at least 90% of the pulse duration.
11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the time profile of the time-dependent control voltage is established as a function of an ambient temperature.
12. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the time profile of the time-dependent control voltage is established as a function of a thermal resistance of the radiation source and/or of a thermal capacity of the radiation source.
13. The method as recited in claim 10 , the electronic arrangement further comprising a voltage divider including a series connection of a first resistor and a second resistor, the voltage divider being connected to the radiation source via the first resistor and to a ground terminal of the electronic arrangement via the second resistor, and the feedback terminal being connected to the voltage divider in a region between the first resistor and the second resistor, wherein voltage source is connected to the feedback terminal via a third resistor, wherein the voltage source is connected via the third resistor to the voltage divider in a region between the first resistor and the second resistor, and wherein, during the pulse duration, the control voltage deviates no more than 20% from a time profile determined by the following equation: v DAC = v FB R 3 R 1 ( 1 + R 1 R 2 + R 1 R 3 ) - R 3 R 1 P LP R LP , 25 ° C . [ 1 + α ( R th P LP ( 1 - e - t R th C th ) + T amb - 25 ° C . ) ] where: P LP is a predetermined constant power value, R LP,25° C. is an electrical resistance of the radiation source at 25° C., α is a temperature coefficient of the radiation source, R th is a thermal resistance of the radiation source, C th is a thermal capacity of the radiation source, and T amb is an ambient temperature.
14. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the method does not require measurement of current.
15. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the method does not require measurement of the lamp voltage and/or does not require measurement of the power of the radiation source.
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June 18, 2019
April 28, 2020
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